Review SHAREit - Transfer & Share

SHAREit for Android is a new app from Lenovo that allows to send files between all your devices in a unique and clever way. The method used doesn't even require an internet connection. So what does it use you ask? Bluetooth? Guess again. It's faster than Bluetooth. SHAREit uses on the ability of your device to create a local WiFi hotspot.

You can then join this network with your other devices (using a password you set) - or your friend can join it, and download any files you choose to send directly over this local WiFi network. Quick, simple, and remarkably original! And if you have no internet whatsoever available; the app can even send itself over the wireless network for your friend to install on their own device. Wow, that's clever.

You can download versions of SHAREit for Windows as well as Apple devices, so it really does offer a comprehensive solution for fast local filesharing. The downsides of this compared to say, internet-based cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive, are that you can only send files locally (close enough to connect to your private WiFi network), and that it requires the receiver to also install the app. But if you have a need for sending large files like photos and videos, fast, between devices physically near each other; this could be perfect.

The interface is really great, and it's simple to quickly find your photos, videos, music, or other files; and shoot them off to your chosen recipient. It would be nice if there were some automatic sync options; say to always send photos to my laptop from my phone when they are near each other.

SHAREit for Android aims to help you share files wirelessly between various gizmos and computers. All users and devices need to have this app installed for the magic to happen, but it may just be worthwhile to take the time and set things up. This one works well enough.

SHAREit displays in portrait, and right off the top, it prompts you to select between two large, colorful buttons: Send or Receive. Tapping the Send button opens a modest vertically scrolling interface displaying your 6 most recent photos as square thumbnails at the top, with a list of all folders and galleries below that. There's also a horizontally moving text menu at the top of your screen with selections like, photo, music, video, contact, app and file. Just select the files you'd like to share from one or more categories, then hit the Next button at the bottom of your screen. From there, the app will either say you have no friends in range, or will list all available friends and devices ready to receive your transmission.

Receiving files is as simple as having your device powered up and turned on. Just open the app, select receive, and you will be ready to receive any incoming files being shared with you. File transfers happen fairly quickly and I encountered no errors or issues, other than a few nominal lags and hangs. There's a menu icon on the top left that opens a side drawer with additional features, like CloneIt, which duplicates settings and contacts to another device, and Connect PC, which shares files with a computer using the downloadable companion app.

SHAREit is decent for what it does and the setup is minimal. If you have a need to share lots of files and pictures, or perhaps just want to back up your phone's contents easily, this is a good way to do it.